Centrum Cerny Most, Prague, Czech Republic

NDYLIGHT was drafted in to help create a luxurious shopping experience on the outskirts of Prague.

Located at the eastern edge of Prague, Centrum Cerny Most (CCM) mall is the result of a major project to redevelop and expand a small shopping centre, and set it within impressive, landscaped grounds.

Developer Unibail-Rodamco embarked on the project with the intention of creating an iconic, luxurious retail destination, one totally unlike the site’s former incarnation. Their concept emphasised the use of light, making it a key driver in delivering an ‘indulgent’ shopping experience. Vanesa Quintia, Ray Pang and Theo Paradise-Hirst of NDYLIGHT were brought in to answer the lighting brief.

The existing mall structure was given a comprehensive overhaul, with internal finishes and lighting given an entirely fresh approach. Large, internally lit, circular light fixtures, created using 20W/m Linear LED tape, are suspended in a line above the centre of the mall walkways.

This introduces a high-end aesthetic and enhances the sense of height and spaciousness. Low glare lighting was designed to supplement and maintain a good level of comfort to those navigating through the space.

Within the new extension of the mall, flexible, dynamic twin runs of cold cathode are hidden within carefully designed coves. These change during the day from a cool colour temperature, mimicking daylight, into a much warmer, luxurious light as dusk approaches.Layers of light provide the space with maximum visual interest with large light features assisting in wayfinding.

The many bespoke lighting features and installations around the mall create local interest zones and fully reflect the purpose of each space. In the children’s soft-play area, for example, a canopy structure supports a colourful collection of circular pendants. RGB 10W/m Linear LED tape concealed at the centre of each disc providing its pastel tone.

In the western entrance to the mall, a suspended tower of coloured tubes forms another distinctive light feature. Fluorescent tubes are concealed within the cylindrical bodies and metal halide downlights sit in a ring above each. The whole piece is encircled by cold cathode linear, curved, suspended slotline fixtures. This suspended slotlight motif is repeated on feature chandeliers throughout the mall, swooping between hanging planters and outlining the dramatic piece above the Central Plaza.

The largest and most impressive feature is found above the food hall. The entire glass skylight ceiling-scape is filled with a ribbed web of profiles. 20W/m linear LED tape illuminates this pattern, providing additional visual stimulation to the mall architecture as night falls. The structure also creates a play of light and shadows during the day, as direct sunlight floods through the skylight above.

Much attention was paid to creating a dynamic exterior scheme for the mall, maximising the initial impact of arriving at the site. This was delivered through a careful collaboration between the architectural, landscape and use of lighting design.

Key views and entry points were defined using lighting and structures, such as the illuminated floating canopies, glowing ‘goal posts’ over vehicle entrance ramps and interactive and dynamic, colour LED wall that wraps around the mall’s cinema complex.

In combination, these provide a strong first impression and a powerful statement about the quality and style of the shopping experience found within.